Grading machine



July 4, 1933. BOOK 1,917,088

GRADING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATIQHNEYS- July 4, 1933. J. H. BOOK 1, 8

, GRADING MACHINE I Filed April 29, 1951 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 'JTE 2700A ATTORNEYS i fmanner.

' I pair ofendIess flatbelt's so arranged'toipree;

' 1 sent a trough oi'fway for the:fruitsfand thisi f chin'e om'prises a stand A'jmad'e fi'omnjsnit;- ableframe and upon this stand is arranged "pa iiis of spacedlongitudinal-inner and outer Y v .sills 'lO and"lliiespectivelmhponwhich are c theprovisi'onofa machine'of'this charact'e v' 5 fruits with dispatch iand"automatically; and" I I I I 17 are arranged on 'opposlte, sldes "Ofi the',"

J 4, v x I r I v "3031x151:i cxmmm nsm mm ymmmgi I wherein the fruits are deliveredstoithe na- I chine at one 7 end thereof and such fruits are 7 autt nnaticz lly graded {and} deposited in} their assoi'tedfcond-ition into bins whereby thejas:

1 3 sorted Tf-r'nits' can be baggedfin a convenient vision'of a inzchineof'this chaiactei'fwherein' the grading operation is carried forth bylztf trough or my being graduatedwherebylthe fruit can be'gnaded'of sortedwhen-passing through-themachine and thef'asso'fted fruits 26" del-ivei'ed'into binsdiiectly f-lrQm -theftrougfi or w-a'y, these binsbeing at one side ofthe machine and are accessible for the bagging; ofthe'giaded fruit. i A"furthe1: object of the? invention is the? 7:25;? provision of at "machine of this characterf V heiein the. grading, beltsfare supported so; that'the si mecan be adjusted'relativeto-each 1 otherto increese ordecreasethe-space there? s between as theoecasion' ma-y reqiIirefOi'theQ handling of fruits dllrilig'fih grading opera-J tion "and also to permit megmpmgn the space betweenthese belts for the suc cessive sorting of saidkfruits, the 'Inechine in its enti'rety being novel in construction}?- A still' furtherobject of thenvention is' Y which iscom'paratively. simple in. :onst'riic 'i tion, thoroughlyjl eliable and eflicient in opera-tion," assuring the g1aiding 01 sortingof 1 inexp'ensive to Inanufaetnreand install. With these and other ob]ects.fin ieWgthej invention consists in the'featiire's of constri'ic5 :in detail illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which a disclose the prefe 'red 'embodiment of the invention and i pointei oi t in the claim hereunto appended.; .f

ij GQ DH NG i V icons trncted inaccordance With the'inventi e v g V 'fFigure'2-gisato'p plan-view'thereof;.;f1', of the 'in'v ention is} the 'grafding'beltand its supportingessembl'y.

'* of the bins shoW-ing indetail ajb ag holder} viewsin-thedmwings; 2

Veyors hereinafteijftlllydescribedi v r r v 11'The end 'uprights '12; ofthe'stan are pro;

thegjo'r'osg pieceslfiofthe'stand softhat the w by '*saidllongitlidinalisills andil1-Qmaybe IZLi S G C LE Q {sills in'ay be altered "W1'1ereb yJthey'j ma 17-fcai-1j "be moved on the; supports and ies The grading conveyors comprise oppositelya'rranged endless'flat belts 21,'each."

i931; tee ts, sesf'itsj FigU-re '1? is a side 'elfevation of af machine f Figurefiis. enlarged fragmentary elevetionithereof. j i

gure' 4 is a fragmentary plan" viewafi. on

, Fig' :16 5 isa-sectional v'ieW'fon-the line 5 5i" ofFlgure i; "1? f F1gu e-6iis a fragmentary-plan view ofone iisedtvith the machine. PI-

V f'S i'lnllar reference 'chef'acters' indicate correspo'ndn'ig' parts; throughout the severz'rl 'ferring' to the drawlngs detail:

adjustabl yf supp01' ted opp osed= gr vided with spaced 1ho1es l3 for 'iceommodat ing selective bolts14 Which'are cifried by V .orlowered on the standpr the plane of .b j 1 1 disposeclf et a lateralj inclination if; necessary." If v.; v i

Mounted at predetermined distances from P the ends-of the stand A nponthesills 10 and supports' "16,' -ea ch having I111K)bediSpOSCiCfOSSWiSe thereof ai'ebr'ztcketfi I thereon a' bracket .86 5 v, "417 'thisbeing provided-With slots 18 in which are -engaged fasten'ers l9 Ino'unted in the bracket supports 16 "so that the saicl'bracketsa; 5 tened in adj-usted 'posi-tiongi 'I hese brackets: 9

stand directlyopposite each other ands ipit Po th mi 20 r. t ad n n y tion, combination and arrangementof jDiLftSfi 1 7 as will be hereinafter moi'efnlly described passmg over'andtrained abont guide pulleys};

22 snppofted'b'etweenhangers 23, one pair; V H gofQtheQlattgar being aQju tabIyconnected tow. i In the'accoinpanying drawings thei 1"con1p'eni0nframing so thatthe.belt lqo 'w 21 can be tightened or slackened as may be required for the successful operation of the machine.

The framings are mounted on the brackets 17 so as to be disposed in opposedupwardly converging relation to each other and spaced apart at the longitudinal center of the stand. Each framing 20 carries a bed 24: for the inner stretch of the belt 21 which stretch passes alongthe outside of the bed 24, the latter being designed to prevent the sagging or twisting of this stretch of the belt when the machine is operated. The framings 20 have at their upper side connected therewith angle braces 25 while connected with the sills 10 and 11 beneath the framings 20 are lower braces 26 therefor.

On the stand A, elevated above the conveyors, is a platform 27 on which is mounted an electric motor 28 adapted for electrical connection with a source of current supply and this motor through the medium of the drive belt 29 operates a pair of pulleys 30, these being suitably supported upon the platform 2?.and have trained about the same the driven belts 31 trained over driven pulleys 32 connected with a pair of the pulleys 22 at the discharge end of the machineso that motion will be transmitted from the motor 28 to the grading belts 21 as will be obvious from Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.

At one side of the stand A is a table B, the top thereof being divided into a plurality of bins or trays 33 which are arranged side by side throughout the longitudinal extent of the stand and the bottoms .34 of these bins or trays are extended inwardly a distance of the stand at one side. of the same while connected with the framing 20 of the belt 21 furthest away from these bins or trays is an apron chute 35 to direct and feed fruits graded in the machine to the respective bins or trays 33 as should be clearly obvious from g Figure 3 of the drawings. 45

c t the outer side of the table A and suitably supported thereon at each bin or tray 33 is a bag holder 36 for a bag 37 so that it will be held in open position to receive the graded fruits from the bin or bins.

Each framing 20 at the belt bed 24 thereof has fitted thereto at the desired interval next to the lowest edge of the inner stretch of the belt 21. abutment cleats 38 to prevent the belt 21 working downwardly on the framing at the inner of said belt while the vance the fruits in a longitudinal direction of the machine and by reason of the tapered way between said belts the different sizes of fruits will discharge from the way between the belt into the chute 35 and thence gravitate into the respective bins 33 at one side of the stand of the machine so that in this manner the fruits will be assorted to grade them according to sizes and theseassorted fruits can be deposited within the bags 37 from the bins for the merchandising of such fruits. v p

From the foregoing will be understood clearly the construction and operation of the machine and for the sake of'brevity aneX- tended explanation has been omitted.

What is claimed is A machine of the character described comprising a'stand constituting a frame'having end uprights provided with spaced openings, cross pieces arranged at the end uprights, fasteners selectively engageable in the openings in the uprights and engaging the cross pieces for adjustment thereof, inner and outer longitudinal sills arranged in spaced pairs upon the cross pieces, bracket supports car ried by the sills adjacent to opposite ends of the stand and each having a bracket provided with a slot, fasteners engaged in the supports and said slotsof the brackets whereby said brackets may be moved upon the supports and fastened in adjusted position, guide pulleys, hangers for the pulleys, framings carried by the brackets and supporting the hang ers, means for adjusting certainof the hangers, a pair of oppositely arranged endless flat belts trained over the pulleys and disposed longitudinally in spaced converging relation to each otherat the center of the stand, each framing having a bed for the inner stretch of the belt, and abutment cleats on each bed and arranged at intervals with respect to the lowest edge of the inner stretches of the belt.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' JOHN H. BOOK. 

